1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for recording image data on a recording medium, and to a zoomed-image reproducing apparatus and method for outputting a zoomed image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera senses the image of a subject using a solid-state electronic image sensing device such as a CCD. Digital cameras of this type having an electronic zoom capability also have come into widespread use. In a camera of this kind, applying a zoom command causes the zoom area of the image of the subject to be enlarged by pixel interpolation.
Since the image of a subject is enlarged by interpolation of pixels in the electronic zoom operation, the greater the degree of enlargement by electronic zooming, the smaller the number of pixels in the image obtained by imaging.
If image data that has undergone electronic zoom processing is recorded on a recording medium, the number of pixels in the image represented by this image data differs depending upon the magnification of electronic zooming.
When such image data is read from the recording medium and applied directly to a printer in order to be printed, images having various sizes conforming to the substantial number of pixels in each image are printed as is unless the printer itself has an enlargement/reduction processing function. As a consequence, there are instances where wasteful blank areas are left on the printing paper or where an image cannot fit on the printing paper.
In addition, if only image data that has undergone zoom processing is recorded on a recording medium, the part of the original image in the area outside the zoom area cannot be seen when the image is reproduced.